Ayọ̀wándé Adálémọ isn’t your typical tech entrepreneur. A proud university dropout, he chose what he calls the “school of execution” over the “school of theory.” That decision has since fueled his rise among Africa’s leading digital transformation voices and birthed a bold mission to revolutionize public Wi-Fi access across the continent.

In 2015, Adálémọ co-founded Wave5Wireless Limited, a technology company aiming to turn public Wi-Fi into more than just internet access. For him, it’s a platform for empowerment, connecting Nigerians to services, education, financial tools, and opportunity right at the edge of the digital frontier. “We’re building networks that turn millions of Nigerians into walking digital enterprises,” he said in a recent interview with Business Insider Africa. “It’s not just about connectivity, it’s about transformation.”

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Wave5Wireless is not just providing internet access, it is building neutral-host infrastructure that allows telcos, fintechs, content providers, and advertisers to deliver services via shared public Wi-Fi access points in high-traffic areas such as markets, schools, and bus stops. This infrastructure is powered by the company’s proprietary technology platform, the Atmosphere Multi-Protocol Provisioning System (AMPPS), which enables streaming, learning, payments, advertising, and commerce to ride on top of each Wi-Fi session, making every digital interaction count. “Our goal was to offload traffic from overstretched mobile networks by building a dedicated public Wi-Fi infrastructure layer that’s open, affordable, and smart enough to support more than just connectivity,” Adálémọ explained.

The numbers are compelling. Adálémọ estimates that if just 10 million users spend ₦500 to ₦750 per week through Wave5Wireless access points, the company could generate over ₦370 to ₦400 billion, roughly $250 million, in annual recurring revenue, and that is just in Lagos. “We monetize connectivity and services at scale. We sell bandwidth wholesale to telcos and retail access to users. AMPPS bundles services like ads, fintech, and content into every session, creating multiple monetization layers per user,” he noted. This unique model positions Wave5Wireless as both a connectivity provider and a value aggregator, serving individual consumers while partnering with telcos, banks, governments, content creators, and education platforms.

The company’s ambition is backed by execution. Wave5Wireless has already connected 15 LAMATA bus stops and two major Lagos markets, Sabo and Iponri, with public Wi-Fi. Its initial proof-of-concept with 40 SMEs delivered over 2 million ad impressions in just 150 days via its captive portal. The real game changer came with a strategic offload partnership with Globacom, Nigeria’s second-largest telecom operator. “This validates our infrastructure and our platform’s ability to monetize digital services at the edge,” Adálémọ said. “With Globacom offloading mobile traffic onto Wave5’s Wi-Fi zones, it reduces pressure on their spectrum while improving user experience.”

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With demand for affordable, high-quality data skyrocketing across Africa, Adálémọ is raising an initial $3 million as part of a $50 million funding plan to expand Wave5Wireless infrastructure, starting with Lagos before moving nationwide. The investment will also fuel the continued development of AMPPS and drive operational growth. For Adálémọ, success means managing over 100,000 Wi-Fi hotspots across Nigeria and beyond, seamlessly integrating with major MNOs, MVNOs, and global tech platforms, and powering a thriving local digital economy where small businesses, creators, and institutions grow on Wave5Wireless infrastructure.

With digital transformation reshaping economies, Wave5Wireless is betting big on shared infrastructure, smart services, and scalable innovation. At the center of that ambition is Ayọ̀wándé Adálémọ, a nonconformist entrepreneur building Africa’s largest public access platform from the ground up. “As long as data is being used,” he says, “the demand for affordable connectivity and local services will keep growing. And we’re ready to meet that demand, one Wi-Fi hotspot at a time.”